From: Erica

We got to the CYC up in Scranton around 2:30.  It
wasn't very nice out, and there was a few people in
line.  My friend Michele and I basically chilled with
Kelly, John, Connie, and Melanie (people we met
there).  So, a bunch of people started coming. Little
by little.  We decided to move up to the front of the
doors after some rude girls cut in front of us!  I
wound up sitting right in front of the left-most door.
Not too long afterwards, we could hear the Goos doing
their sound check.  That was pretty cool!

Then John comes back with his hat signed by all the
Goos!  He said that their bus was right on the side of
the building.  So I sent my mother to go scope it out
and to see if they were there.  I told her to come
back and get me if they were.  After about 30 minutes
she does come back... with my newly purchased Goo
shirt signed by Robby!! She told me she was talking to
him and also got a picture!!! (which, by the way, came
out really GOOd!!)  She told me to come with her and
to keep it on the D.L. so no one else would know and
mob the bus.  

So we get to the side of the building.  We waited by
this door there to see if the guys would come out. We
couldn't go inside, and low and behold, Johnny walks
right by the door! I only caught a glimpse of his
back.  My mom left not to long afterwards and gave me
the camera and a sharpie.  Next thing you know, John
came out of the building from a rear exit! I walked at
a fast pace to see if I could get a pic before he went
on the bus, but he looked busy and I didn't make it
close enough to him in time.  

The security guards started putting up bike racks in
front of and around the sides of the Goo bus.  My mom
came back as I was waiting for John to get off of the
bus and told me they were gonna be opening the doors
shortly.  So I left with her, back to our place at the
front of the line.  

Michele was there with my posters I had made and my
teddy bear I bought them.  To my disappointment, one
of the ladies in the building saw me holding them
rolled up and informed me that I couldn't bring them
into the building, or they'd be thrown away!! I didn't
want my hard work to be in vain, so I ran back to the
car and threw them in the trunk.  

There was a couple sets of doors there, and they
opened them all at once.  I ran inside, got frisked,
and had my ticket ripped.  Then I ran upstairs to the
front row!! Eventually Michele and the rest of the
people I was talking to came up.  They were pissed off
at the fact the ladies frisked our line more than any
other.  And in some lines, people just got by (because
they new the people working there)!!  

There was only teenage kids in the front of the stage
keeping us back and seated, not real security.  Since
this was the CYC's first concert in years, a bunch of
local teens from Scranton came.  They new the security
people, and the security people would just let them
get right in front of you. (luckily this didn't happen
where I was, only on the right side of the stage).  We
were all mad about that.  

Then, around 7:15, a few people stood up to stretch, I
guess a bunch of others saw and thought we could stand
and go to the stage, too bad we weren't supposed
to....there was a rush for the front.  I dashed passed
a security guy to the front row, almost in the center.
 Right away the crowd got really pushy! I found myself
hardly able to move!! The security people were stuck
in the crowd! They had a hard time getting out of it,
too. 

Fastball came on around 7:30, and when they did, we
were getting pushed even harder than before!  They
played very well, as always!! The crowd hardly moved,
probably because they couldn't!!  During one of
Fastball's songs I noticed Nathan on the left side of
the stage jamming to them.  He looked my way, so I
waved to him...and he waved back! I was getting
anxious for the Goos...

Ok, I'll spare the details of pre-Goo....the Goos'
stuff was all set up, the lights turned off again. 
Then the lights on stage began to move around faster
and faster as Dave played on the keyboard...Mike came
jogging out and began beating on his drum...the music
is getting faster and faster.....then Johnny and Robby
come flying out of the left side of the stage! They
hit the first chord of "Dizzy" and it was amazing!! We
all were going nuts!!  I noticed Robby didn't have the
brace on his leg, and I was really happy about that. 
They put on such an EXCELLENT show again!! I threw up
my teddy bear that said "Hugs and Kisses from (my home
town), PA".  They didn't get it this time :(  or the
hat we threw up either.  But, when John was getting
ready to introduce the band, Michele threw up rafting
brochures for them.  (I figured they might want to try
it sometime if they weren't busy.  So, John picked
them up and was fiddling with them all the while he's
talking about the band.  Then he says "oh cool, I can
go on a rafting trip for free.I'll have to save
this..." and places the brochures by his microphone.  

I was so close to the stage!! This was the closest
they had the gates for the front row out of all 3
shows I've gone to.  Johnny and Robby couldn't have
been more than 6 feet away from me!!

The rest of the show was incredible!! I had such a
GOOd time!!! But, all the while I was being pushed. 
This was the worst crowd as far as pushing was
concerned that I have seen.  I have bruises all over
myself from those people. And it even got to the point
(right in the beginning of the show) when the back was
pushing up on us, and the gate in front of me began to
move forward.  All of the people on Johnny's side in
the front just screamed.  We were all scared that it
would tip and we'd be crushed.  Thankfully, there was
no accidents and it was fixed quickly.  John made the
comment "Oh, it's a Good thing you guys fixed that
there, because there's too many lovely young ladies up
there and I don't want them to get hurt."

During one of the songs I waved to Nathan, and he
waved back!! Then I blew him a kiss, and he blew one
right back to me!!!  He played his solo in "Iris"
again and did an excellent job!! I have a pic of it. 

In "Two Days in February" John said we were going to
play a game, audience participation.  Every time he
pointed to us, we were supposed to say "Quit Whining!"
 He points to us..."Quit whining!" everyone yells. 
Then he starts the song.  He said it in a whiny voice
most of the time.  Pretty soon into the song he points
to us "Quit Whining!"  "Oh, you guys...f*ck you!"  and
everyone laughs.  He did the rest of the song that
way, periodically stopping to point at us.  It was so
cool!!

Robby and John exited the stage, but not before John
threw the microphone over.  He had broken his other
one earlier, but they fixed it.  He also took it and
placed it just above our heads and walked across the
stage while we all screamed, I managed to touch it!!

Overall, I had a wonderful time.  Like I keep saying,
GO SEE THE GOOS!!! YOU WILL NEVER FORGET IT IF YOU
DO!!

I wound up getting the set list from the one
roadie...here it is in case you were wondering...
DIZZY, LONGWAY DOWN, LAZY EYE, SLIDE, FALLIN' DOWN,
FULL FOREVER, NAKED, NAME, JANUARY FRIEND, BLACK
BALLOON, BULLETPROOF, BROADWAY, ANOTHER SECOND TIME
AROUND, FLAT TOP, IRIS. encore: JUST THE WAY YOU ARE 
(new ending), BURNIN' UP, TWO DAYS IN FEBRUARY.

After I got the set list, Michele and I went to the
tour bus.  To my surprise, not that many people were
there.  We managed to squeeze our way up to one-row
deep (from the bike racks).  Before the Goos came out,
we got right up against the bike racks, front row if
you wanna call it that.  Mike was the first to come
out.  I waved and said "Hi Mike!!"  he waved to us and
went on the bus. About 2 minutes later he came back
and said "here, presents" and threw his drum sticks
towards the back of the small crowd.  Then he came
back out a while afterwards and signed a lot of stuff.
 When he came to me, I asked him if he remembered my
Hershey Kiss doll from Hershey, and he said "Oh, yeah,
I remember that!  It was pretty cool!"  I asked him
for a hug, too and he said "Sure, I've been pretty
depressed lately, so that will make me feel better."
He finished signing something for someone and gives me
a hug!! When he started to let go, I gave him a kiss
on the neck, because that was all I could reach. He's
sooo tall!!  I also told him how much I liked his drum
solo and he thanked me. I wish I would have had my
camera, dummy me had it locked in the car!

Then Robby comes out.  He walked over to the back of
the tour bus (some people were there).  He came over
to us and started to sign things. Since I already had
my shirt signed, Michele and I asked him for a hug. 
He said "Sure!" and wraps his arms around the both of
us and gives us each a kiss on the cheek!! I gave him
one on the cheek, too.  I was in heaven!! I asked him
if he remembered my Hershey Kiss doll and he said "oh,
yeah, yeah I do!"  

Next Nathan came out.  He just waved to us and went on
the bus.  I would really have liked a hug from him,
even though he's not a part of the group. 

Finally, the much anticipated Johnny Rzeznik steps
out!  He went over to the back of the bus just like
Robby did. When everyone started cheering him, he
raised up his arms and smiled.  He came over to us and
started to sign things.  He signed my shirt just as
Robby and Mike had.  I also asked him if he remembered
my Hershey kiss doll.  He answered "You know
what...that was you?" and I said "yeah!"  I asked him
for a hug and he said "Sure!"  So I got a hug and I
kissed him on the cheek, too!  I'm really upset at the
fact I didn't have my camera!! But at least this time
I got to talk to them and give them each a hug and a
kiss, unlike in Wilkes-Barre when I went into shock.  

They didn't stay all that long, and I left a little
after I had met Johnny.  Their bus left not too long
after that.  That just completed my night! I can't
wait to see the Goos again!! I hope they come back to
PA or somewhere near me soon!!! Because I need to get
my pic with them this time!!